HERINK - Different Children, Different Dreams

Seiter illuminates some very important points in her essay regarding racial representation in children's advertising. Steir provides numerous example of how infants are utilized in commercials, and explained that how they are utilized communicates a lot about how our American culture interacts with race.

Seiter provides examples of children of minority races being places in peripheral positions, while the white child is often the main focus of individual shots. This is easy to see not only in advertising but in mainstream broadcasting. The major networks ABC, NBC and CBS all have shows about white people living their unique lives, and utilize black characters as

peripheral or fringe characters. While shows like The Cosby Show and My Wife and Kids have been aired on major networks, these types of programs which showcase minority families are few and far between.

In conclusion, it is easy to see that the minorities are often ignored in advertising and programming, and this ignorance often goes unnoticed. It is important that as consumers we are cognizant of what advertisers are doing to sell products, and determine the ethics of these practices.

1) What are some things that can be done to curb the lack of representation of minorities in advertising.

2) Is it producer's responsibility to care about the diversity of their casts?